"Which female genital piercing is less painful, more stimulation, heals easily and faster, and is most popular and fashionable? I'm interested in inner labia piercing, vertical & horizontal clitoral hood piercing. Which is the best..Thank u"

My reply:

The vertical clitoral hood piercing (VCH) is one that most women are anatomically suited to wear. You can check to see if you are built for it by using the "Q-tip test" as pictured on this page:
http://ringsofdesire.com/q_tip.html
When performed properly it is very quick and not an intense piercing. BE CAREFUL: many piercers have no specific training to do these piercings and I receive email daily from women who have gotten botched genital piercings! Do your homework and learn how to evaluate a piercer for competency and appropriate qualifications. You can learn everything you need to know in The Piercing Bible.
It is as fast to heal as an ear lobe piercing (as soon as 4 weeks), and most women find that direct the contact of jewelry against the clitoris is pleasurable and stimulating. There was even a study done that was printed in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology that stated the piercing improved "desire, frequency of intercourse and arousal."

For much more information about safe piercing, read "The Piercing Bible--The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing" by Elayne Angel (Random House, May 2009).
http://piercingbible.com/

I received this message from a woman interested in getting a dangerous genital piercing:

Dear
Elayne,

I have been looking into a piercing for quite a while now, but it is a
rather rare one. I have asked two different piercers about it and was
refered to you.

I am told that you are one of the best and can give me
the best opinion/advice. While looking at genital piercings, I saw a
Nefertiti and I am now set on it. It is a combination of a christina and
a vertical hood. I need to know what you think of it and who you would
recommend.

I am 98% positive I have correct anatomy for it however they
were both concerned about a flexible bar and the fact that it is so
long. My friends mom is an OR nurse and looked into the bar and said it
was alright. If you could look into it I would greatly appreciate it. I
have done some of my own before and could attempt it but am worried
about getting it straight and the correct needle and would rather have a
professional do it.

I know you are probably busy but this would mean a
lot to me as it is my "dream" piercing. If you could either tell me what
your opinion is or give me a number and times I could reach you it
would be awesome. If you do not want to I understand, but would like to
know that so I am not waiting for a reply. Thank you very much for your
time.

Sincerely,
Z

Hi Z.,

Thanks for your email.

The reason I don't cover the Nefertiti or the Isabella piercings on my webpage is because I don't do them; I consider them too risky. (I do however, have an actual clitoris piercing, and will do those on women who are anatomically suited. I say this by way of explaining that it isn't just the intensity of the piercing itself that is my concern.)

I just wanted to thank you for my beautiful piercing, I'm so happy with it, but I am a bit concerned that it may be getting infected. Perhaps I'm just overreacting, but its really really tender and sore, and its been about three days and I also noticed a small dot of discharge that was a light yellow today for the first time.I've been following all of your directions and keeping everything clean and sanitary, so I'm not really sure what went wrong. I'm really afraid, but if you can tell me what steps I can take steps now to possibly reverse the infection and what else I can do besides the sea salt baths and antibacterial soap, I'd really appreciate it.I read the chapter in your book about Trouble and Trouble shooting but since my symptoms weren't as severe, it didn't seem to really pertain to me. Please help if you can!
Sincerely,

B.

I referred her to some relevant pages in my book (182-183 "What to Expect") because this portion explains that some secretion, redness, and tenderness are all perfectly normal in a new piercing! And they can last throughout the healing period...

I also advised her that one of the worst things she can do is over-clean. I told her to try to relax and follow the instructions I'd given her for aftercare and to review them in the book.

She wrote back:

Thanks Elayne, I guess I was just over reacting but I appreciate your help! I read all of the pages and a few other chapters in your book and everything reassured me that what I'm experiencing is normal. I think that the problem was that I was over cleaning my piercing, but now I feel much better and not so much pain and tenderness.

I am considering piercing my breasts. I have inverted nipples however and I am wondering if you feel this would prevent a successful piercing for me. Previously, I had a sternum piercing which rejected. I currently have a VCH, which is still healing. I assume I must be a slow healer since the VCH was done about four months ago, and I still am doing my salt water soaks to keep it from being sore. I would appreciate any advice or thoughts you might have. My piercing was done by a member of the APP. Thank you again for your time, Dawn

Dawn, My goodness! That is slow healing--the VCH usually heals in closer to 4 weeks, not months! Have you tried changing your VCH jewelry or the care product you're using on it? After that long a period of time, I think something should be changed. Have you considered trying emu oil? It can be very effective for healing problem piercings (and those that are doing well, too). Are you wearing a bar or a ring? What material? I wouldn't say a history of a rejected sternum piercing is indicative a tendency toward troubled healing--surface piercings such as these often have problems. The VCH is another matter. If it is determined that your jewelry is of good quality, the piercing properly placed and cared for, then you simply may not be a good candidate for piercings. Here is a brief section from my book about piercing inverted nipples:

A woman asked a question about her VCH piercing in the comments section and emailed her a reply:

Hey I recently got a VCH done about 1 month ago. The other day I noticed that the bottom ball (where my hood is) has gone up inside there and is now inside at the top of my piercing... I think it has closed now and I dont want to go back to get it redone because I dont want to go through that pain again.... Shan.

Hi Shan, You really should return to your piercer right away to have it looked at. Are you sure the ball isn't just resting under the little "tunnel" of your hood? If the bottom ball got stuck in the piercing channel, a lot of the post portion would be sticking up above the top of your piercing--or your piercer put in a post that is too short. Please see your piercer as the resolution may be very simple--you might just need a longer bar and/or a larger ball on the bottom, to prevent the jewelry from slipping up under your hood. If the bottom ball really is stuck in the tissue, you should see your piercer immediately, as it still might be able to be liberated. But if the tissue has closed around it you may need medical intervention to remove it. Let me know what happens. To see video of me performing a VCH click here. It shows properly sized jewelry in the ideal placement.

I went ahead and got pierced last week (VCH), and it is doing pretty well. I just have a couple more questions for you. I am still researching stuff on the vch and there was one place that said 16 gauge is to small for a genital piercing, and that you aren't suppose to have a hoop in when you heal... Well the ring I have is 16 gauge. Is that a problem? If so can you advise me on a gauge size and jewelry type?
Thanks

I use 14 gauge as a minimum, because the 16 really is on the thin side. But, if it that is the size you have in, and the piercing is properly placed and heals well, you can easily have it stretched up later. You should wait until you have been healed for a month or two before stretching. If you begin to have healing problems such as irritation, tearing, or migration, then you should have your ring swapped out for a bar as soon as possible. Always have a professional do any jewelry change that becomes necessary during a healing period.
I use a ring only when a woman is built with a "valley"-- a recessed hood area, and outer labia that are large and cover the area. If you have a "hill" configuration with a prominent hood, then the ring is not a good jewelry style for healing because it will be subject to excessive trauma (though it could be fine for later).